Washington Post Hires Candace Buckner to Cover the Washington Wizards

She starts Aug. 1.

The Washington Post has hired Candace Buckner to cover the Washington Wizards. Buckner comes to the Post from the Indianapolis Star, where she covered the Indiana Pacers. “During that time,” write editors Matthew Vita and Matthew Rennie in a note announcing the news, “she’s established herself as one of the most respected NBA reporters in the country.”

“Candace is a dogged reporter who excels at breaking news,” they continue. “When a major story occurs on her beat she’s able to call on numerous relationships she’s established with coaches, executives and players around the league to gather insight and perspective.”

As for her life and work before the Star, we’ll let her bio catch you up:

As a precocious baby growing up in St. Louis, Mo., Candace Buckner’s first words were, “what’s my story length?” And after receiving her answer, she’s been overwriting for decades now — as well as pushing the very limits of the use of the long dash. While attending the Univ. of Missouri, Candace discovered brevity. It was good. She learned. She grew. She ate a Shakespeare’s. Besides subject-verb agreement and proper grammar, and stuff, Candace has always enjoyed the National Basketball Association. However, she accepted jobs in cities without NBA teams, like Macon, Ga. and Kansas City, Mo., because she still had to eat and pay off student loans. Eventually, Candace packed up all her belongings — pretty much just a bunch of newspaper stories that feature way too many long dashes — and headed to Central Indiana to live her childhood dream of quoting Lavoy Allen in 500-word gamers. She currently covers the Indiana Pacers for the Indianapolis Star and writes awesome biographies.